Become a junior lock keeper at Foxton

To help celebrate Foxton Locks’ 200th birthday, young canal adventurers with a love of the waterways are being invited to come along to this famous site in Leicestershire and experience life as a junior lock keeper.

The young explorers will work alongside our friendly and experienced volunteer lock keepers to operate locks and help boaters as they travel up and down this much loved staircase of locks.

Taking place on the 20 July and the 17 August this free experience day is open to anyone between the ages of 7-14 and all children will need to be supervised by their parents as well as one of our lock keepers.

During the hour-long experience the junior lock keepers will be shown how to operate the locks, find out exactly why we need locks on the canal and also discover where all the water in the locks and canals really comes from.

Keeping kids busy

Sarah Cook, education co-ordinator from the Canal & River Trust, said: “Foxton Locks is a beautiful spot on the Grand Union Canal and is ideal for any youngsters wanting to have a go at being a lock keeper. Today's lock keepers do not have as difficult a time as their early predecessors. These days, hauling heavy lock gates open by hand, defending yourself against river pirates and fighting off toll thieves are not part of the job description.

“With 10 locks to work and a whole host of boats to help navigate their way down the canal, the experience will certainly keep any eager children and their parents busy and will hopefully be an enjoyable day for everyone.”